Human Design For Business: How to apply it to your online business

What is Human Design? And how can you apply it in your online business? Human Design for business provides you with a great framework to figure out how you can uniquely help others… but I'm getting ahead of myself. More on that in a second.

I don't know if you've noticed, but I'm a little bit in love with Human Design and I have been for the better part of the last 12 months. And for good reason, particularly when it comes to how can you make (and trust) decisions in your business. 

Short on time? Watch the video below or grab the book here instead!

What is Human Design?

But first, what is Human Design? Like, really, what am I talking about here..

Here's a nice little definition from our friends at Wikipedia:

Human Design is a pseudoscience[1][2] combining astrology, I Ching, Kabbalah and the Chakras.[3][4][5][6] Human Design was originated by Alan Robert Krakower who published a book called The Human Design System under the pseudonym Ra Uru Hu in 1992.

I don't know about you, but reading that tells me nothing about what Human Design is, lol! Also, not to be confused with Human-Centred Design either.

This is a better way of really what Human Design represents:

Know yourself. The Human Design System is the next generation of self-knowledge.

It is a user manual for your life. The Human Design System is a logical system that provides a practical tool for self-discovery and correct decision-making. Courtesy of mybodygraph –  save that link, you'll want it a little later on!

When you apply it from a business sense, Human Design can help you figure out how you sell best.

It helps you figure out what offers you're uniquely positioned to create and, ultimately, it helps you make sure that you're managing your energy the right way for you. 

It's all about you baby!

If you haven't got your Human Design chart yet, it's, it's free when you grab it here: https://hustleandgroove.com/hd-chart/

Go grab that then come back here for a rundown on #allthethings!

Understanding Your Human Design Chart

There are nine different centres and they all influence how you work, how you show up in your business, the way you sell, the offers you create, etc. It can be quite overwhelming when you first see your HD body graph, particularly when you try to make sense of all the numbers, lines, and shapes… frankly, it's quite confusing, particularly if you listen to the voice recording walk-throughs of your graph.

So for the most part, it's easier to focus on the two main components that really impact your day-to-day life… you can live pretty well if you start by understanding your type and your inner authority. 

Those two components are at the center of what makes up your Human Design strategy. 

Think of your type and inner authority as the 80/20 of Human Design. 

80% of how you approach the world is based on your type and your inner authority. And then the other 20% is made up of all the other pieces of your chart, which are unique to you based on the time that you were born. 

So step one is: get your Human Design body graph and get to understand what makes you tick because when it comes to business, there is no one-size-fits-all approach.

And understanding your Human Design, your uniqueness, starts to open doors in a way you could never imagine… especially when it comes to Human Design in your online business. 

Human Design For Business 

I am coming up to 10 years in my online business (at the time of writing this, it's March 2021), and I have only really learned in the last couple of years that one-size-fits-all strategies don't work.

Here's what tends to happen, particularly when we're just starting out… we see a coach we like or take a course that we believe is going to help us. And what happens, in most instances, is that we don't get the results we were hoping for. 

In fact, none of what you learn feels easy or fun. You implement like crazy and still don't see the results the coach or course creator promised were just on the other side…

And you're left wondering what you did wrong, amiright?!

But when you understand your Human Design strategy, you have filters that you can run through any tactic or strategy you see to make sure it aligns with how you uniquely run your online business. 

You can also learn how to take any course or strategy, or working with a coach, and tweak and adjust what you learn based on your way of doing business, based on your Human Design strategy. 

This is why I like the Human Design process as a starting point to be able to understand what that might look like for your business. 

The Human Design Types

There are 5 Human Design types:

1. Manifestor
2. Generator
3. Manifesting Generator 
4. Projector 
5. Reflector

Now, before we dive any deeper, some Human Design systems, believe that a manifesting generator is simply a subset of the generator type. As a manifesting generator myself, I completely disagree with this. ?

Here's where things get interesting when you break down the world population…

Manifestors (Ms) are 8% of the world population, generators (Gs) are 35%, manifesting generators (MGs) are also 35%, projectors (Ps) are 21%, and reflectors (Rs) are 1%. 

70% of the world's population are generators or manifesting generators. And that is both a good thing and a bad thing.

It's a good thing because a lot of you will relate well to most people within your network. 

But it's a bad thing in that for the world at large, we are conditioned to operate our lives as a manifestor…

More on that below.

Human Design Strategy For Each Type

Now that you know what the different types are, let's dive into the different strategies for each type.

Because once you understand what this means, it will make sense why being anything other than a manifestor in the world we live in doesn't exactly set us up for success. ?

#1: Manifestor – To inform

You are here to initiate. You are here to start things. You are the person that has all the ideas… and that's why you've got slogans like “just do it” or “make things happen”, which don't work for the rest of the world but make your heart sing. You make decisions quickly and move fast. In order for you to get done what you need to get done, you've gotta let others around you know what you're up to… that's why you need to inform!

#2: Generator – To respond

You are here to respond to external things around you. You don't do anything until something comes into your world. And then you respond to it. Your strategy is simply “waiting to respond” which is easier said than done but once mastered, it will change your life. You have access to sustainable energy, so use it wisely!

#3: Manifesting Generator – To respond & inform

So an MG has the same strategy as a generator, needing to wait to respond, but you also need to inform those around you or double check-in with your gut before you take action, so that you can ensure that it's actually the right thing for you. You move quickly and taking action is part of your DNA.

#4: Projector – To be invited and recognized

You are waiting to be invited. Waiting for your opportunity to be recognized. You are talented and have natural abilities and gifts, but in order for them to be realized, you first have to wait for them to be recognized. You have a lot of wisdom to share but in order to share it, you have to first be invited to do so, otherwise, you run the risk of being rejected. You really see people, who they are at their core and this can be unnerving for others. 

#5: Reflector – Clarity

You are a reflector of all the energy around you, constantly receiving and reflecting back to others who they are. To make decisions, you need to gain full clarity, and that typically takes you a full lunar cycle (28 days). You're introspective and need time to process. Take that time as it will serve you best.

Your Strategy + Your Online Business

Once you understand all of this, you might be wondering how you can apply Human Design to your business…

As a manifestor, you are literally getting ideas coming at you all the time. And depending on your inner authority, the way you make a decision will then allow you to move into “invincible action.” You will make things happen.

You're highly motivated and capable of powerful expression and manifestation. You are someone who can go it alone and succeed. You simply get things done. When you apply this to business, and it's aligned with you energetically, there's simply nothing you can't do!

For a generator and a manifesting generator, you are waiting to respond to something external. From a business sense, this could look like paying attention to your online community and the questions they are asking. 

It could be noticing patterns, being aware of signs showing up again and again.

In order for you to move forward, you need to respond through your Sacral (or Solar Plexus – Emotional if it's defined). And so in order for you to actually take action — remembering that you don't make things happen — in order to take action, you need it to feel an energetic Yes, or an energetic No. There is no grey area here. It's a yes or it's a no. And then follow what lights you up. 

A yes or no from your Sacral is a feeling, not an actual verbal yes or no. It can be easy to miss if you've not been listening, so start paying attention.

For a projector, you're waiting for the invitation. So this can get a little bit tricky when it comes to business because you're literally waiting to be invited to give advice. You're waiting to be recognized. But once you receive the go-ahead, boy do you step into your power!

Depending on your inner authority, the way that you take action will look different. Out of all the types, projectors have the most diversity in the way they show up. So pay attention to your inner authority and then learn more about what that looks like for you.

For example, if your inner authority is self-projection (or sound boarding) you make decisions by using someone you trust to be a soundboard. You listen for your truth and then you can take action. 

Podcast invites that land in your inbox are definite invitations. Someone asking you a question or inviting you to attend a summit, both invitations to get you moving.

For reflectors, you are taking your time. With no defined centres, it's about waiting till you get to a point of clarity, which typically takes a full lunar cycle (28 days). This isn't a bad thing in business. It's just that you are open to everything so everything is coming in at you, so you literally have ideas, all the things coming at you, taking on other people's energy, which is why you need to wait that full 28 days, or that full lunar cycle in order to figure out what is the right thing for you to take action on. 

Phew, that was a lot to cover. It helps when you have your body graph in front of you and you review the information only pertinent to you.

Human Design Inner Authority 

Once you've got a good understanding of those pieces, the other important aspect is your inner authority. The way that you actually make a decision. I touched on this briefly above too.

This is going to be different for every single person because there are seven different authority centers:

1. Sacral Authority 
2. Emotional/Solar Plexus Authority
3. Splenic Authority
4. Ego/Heart Authority
5. Self/Identity/G Authority
6. Environment Authority
7. Moon/Lunar Authority

When you refer to your body graph, you'll see that your authority will be one of these options. Depending on your type, you might only have one or two options.

For example, as a manifesting generator, I can only have the sacral or the emotional/solar plexus as my inner authority.

No matter what your authority is, it directly impacts the way that you make a decision, or rather, the way that you trust that a decision you're contemplating is the right one for you.

As a manifesting generator with a defined sacral centre, this is also my inner authority. This simply means that I feel in my gut whether something is right for me or not. But it's a little deeper than that. I have to feel “lit up” from the inside. Otherwise, energetically, I will be completely drained if I move forward with something that doesn't feel good.

So depending on your authority, the way you know an opportunity is right for you will be felt differently in your body. Notice I didn't mention anything to do with your head or mind when it comes to making decisions…

This is because we DO NOT make decisions with either of those centres. Our head and mind centres are for processing and receiving information, they are not where we make decisions.

Now that we've covered all of this, those two key pieces: type and your inner authority allow you to understand that: 

When you combine the two key pieces and you start applying them to your business, Holy Moly things begin to change, things begin to align, things begin to feel very much inflow. 

I can't explain to you how amazing it has been to understand that as a manifesting generator, I'm simply responding to what the universe puts in front of me, and then using my sacral centre, my gut, to follow the things that light me up and ignore anything that doesn't feel right. 

The nuance of being a manifesting generator is that I can also initiate (like a manifestor does) as long as it lights me up. I still have to check in with my sacral. I cannot initiate based on what I'm thinking…

I have no shortage of ideas (because I have an open head centre) but just because I receive these ideas doesn't mean that any of them need me to take action on them. They might not be the right fit for me right now. Or I could simply have captured somebody else's idea (because of my open head centre) and I need to simply let that pass on through. 

When you understand how all of this works and how it fits into your business, things become easy and fun for you. You just need to know and understand what that looks like for you. 

When you use something like Human Design, it gives you a clear roadmap. A clear business strategy that is 100% unique to you.

It's about understanding who you are…

Now I'm not sitting here saying that Human Design is the only way to figure things out… I have done Myers Briggs, I have done Clifton's StrengthsFinder 2.0, I have done the Enneagram and I've done The Four Tendencies… And what I've learned and what I've discovered is that Human Design really pulls all of those profiles into one clear map for how I show up authentically in this world. 

I'm an Upholder in The Four Tendencies which means that I get stuff done without external motivators if I'm committed to it. And that is reflected in my manifesting generator type. I have a defined sacral centre that allows me access to work and life force, so I have untapped energy (when I'm working on things that light me up), and I get things done. Because it's easy for me to do that.

Then from Myers-Briggs, I am an ENFJ-A which means very similar things to being an Upholder, and then with StrengthsFinder2.0, one of my top five strengths is Maximizer, and believe me when I tell you that I maximize the crap out of everything. ?‍♀️

My next strength from StrengthsFinder2.0 is strategic, which is why, as a manifesting generator, I'm strategically placed to help people understand what makes their businesses easy and fun. I also have futuristic, relator, and communication strengths, which round out my top five strengths.

All of these are reflected in my Human Design type and unique chart. 

When you understand what works for you, business becomes easy and fun, life becomes easy and fun. And why wouldn't we want to show up in this world, and things be easy and fun?! 

But here's the kicker… our world isn't designed for the majority of us to succeed. 

Our society is built around the manifestor type energy where they are uniquely equipped to “make things happen”.

So if you are struggling, if you feel energetically drained, if you get to the end of the day and you say “I am so tired, I have zero ideas about why I'm so tired. I've been working, and I haven't done anything different than normal, I'm exhausted…” It's likely you are not in alignment with your human design type. And a lot of it that will have to do with the way that you make decisions too. 

Do me a favor. Go and get your own chart here: https://hustleandgroove.com/hd-chart/. It is the best place to start and begin to understand how you best operate, both in life and in your business.

Or if you want to really go deep (I'm speaking to all my 1's), then grab the first book in the Cultivate Your Business series below.